Traveling doesn’t have to be stressful when you plan ahead especially when it comes to what tech items you may need on your next trip. Taking a real vacation means leaving work at home and turning off your work phone. If you can do that, then I applaud you! However, for so many of you digital nomads that’s not possible. Frankly, the list below isn’t just for digital nomads, many of these travel tech accessories do and will come in handy on your next trip.
I can’t lie I have a love/hate relationship with technology. It seems there’s a new gadget for everything these days but the great thing is that are many gadgets that simplify your life. For example; I never take my work laptop with me (too bulky) instead I take my Samsung Tab A and from that small device I can run my business anywhere in the world. I’m only gone for a maximum of 12 days so it makes sense for me to lighten my load.
I try to be as minimalist as possible when I travel so I take the smallest and lightest tech gadgets that get the job done without getting in the way. This is where things can get tricky, especially with carry-on. The gadgets below I think are worth a good hard look and be added to your packing list. At the end of the day, technology is there to help so take advantage of it.
When packing for a trip you may get stuck on what to bring, if you’re looking to make travel life simpler, this 7 Best Travel Tech Accessories guide will make that a reality. With that in mind, here are some of the best travel tech gadgets around, including laptops/tablets, headphones, luggage trackers, power banks, and adapters.
The best part is that all of the accessories below are available on Amazon. All are readily available with just a few clicks just in time for your next trip.
Best Travel Tech Accessories & Gadgets:
1) Samsung Tab A 10.1:
Chances are you already have a tablet, if you don’t feel comfortable bringing your laptop overseas then by all means bring your tablet. My personal favorite is the one I currently have, the Samsung Tab A 10.1. It’s the best since I have all my streaming apps and I do my office work from here as well.
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Laptop: Bringing your laptop is entirely up to you and your needs. When I was a W2 employee, I left work at home. My back office took care of everything. Now that I’m self-employed I take my work laptop whenever I travel within the US. When I travel abroad I take my Samsung Tablet so I’m always connected.
Tablet Accessories: Here are the two accessories I have with my tablet so it feels like a functioning laptop and still compact!
- ProCase – Protective Tablet Case for 9″-10.1″ inch tablets.
- Keyboard – Mini Portable Bluetooth Keyboard
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2) Noise Cancelling Headphones:
Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones, Wireless Bluetooth Over the Ear Headset. You may think you won’t need this but when traveling on a budget you may find yourself staying in a hostel. As you know you’ll be sharing that room with 4 to 6 people and their snoring! These are really good for red-eye flights (they’re pretty good at blocking out the sound of the cabin and crying babies). No need to sacrifice your sleep with this often-overlooked item.
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3) Travel Adapter:
This is so important! Traveling outside the US you’ll need an adapter. Fortunately, these are easy to find and inexpensive, here are a couple of my favorites:
- TESSAN European Travel Plug Adapter – this I took when I went on my Expat Explore trip and worked like a charm.
- JOOMFEEN Worldwide Universal Adapter – this I took with me on my Balkans trip and this also worked like a charm.
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4) Best Tech Pouch:
Organizing your tech is key and simple. Just take all those gadgets and cords and put them in a bag for easy organization. I found the FYY Electronic Pouch to be the best pouch that kept all my electronics organized in one easy-to-carry pouch. Considering what I brought I had to get the large to fit everything I had.
To be very clear, only my power bank, travel adapter, 3 charging cables, and 2 wall chargers fit in my tech pouch. I can see a couple more cables, earbuds, or headphones fitting as well.
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5) Portable Power Bank:
You more than likely have a power bank so take it with you. If not here’s one that is a solid addition for your next trip. Some reasons why you do need a portable power bank are:
- You never know when you need the extra juice for your phone so you never miss that perfect shot. If you’re like me and have to.
- If you have to do some work during travel, then YOU NEED this!
- If you’re traveling alone and need navigation a good power bank and prove to be a lifesaver.
- Streaming your shows on the plane or during a long layover.
- You have the flexibility to charge multiple devices at once.
My personal favorite is the 35000mAh power bank from SABANI
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6) Luggage Tags:
Don’t sleep on these! In the past few years luggage these have become in my opinion essential especially when you have a checked bag. In 2022, there was a record number of canceled flights and lost luggage. These air tags will allow you to track your mishandled luggage even when the airline can’t. There are two on the market depending on what phone you have.
Essentially you have 3 ‘Smart Tags’ to choose from depending on your phone:
Galaxy SmartTag2: Uses Bluetooth technology and only works on Android 9.0 or higher. These SmartTags will allow you to track your luggage and receive frequent updates on your phone. Even if your bag is outside of range, it will keep updating its location by anonymously pinging off other Samsung devices.
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Apple Air Tag: These are exclusive to iPhone users. The Apple air tag ‘crowd GPS’ so Apple’s ‘Find My’ app uses Apple devices to ping the network and each other in the background. As soon as that AirTag falls within Bluetooth range of any one of those devices that device then pings the ‘Find My’ network. Then it reports the location to you and you can find your lost luggage.
| Apple AirTag | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
 | Keep track of and find your items using 'Find My app'. Instantly connect the AirTag with your iPhone or iPad. Uses a built-in speaker to help find your things, or just ask Siri for help. Find items further away with the help of hundreds of millions of Apple devices in the Find My network. | Check For Price |
For iPhone users follow this link to check the price for Apple Air Tag.
Tile Pro: The Tile Pro doesn’t use a network to locate lost luggage it uses a built-in app (Life360) and uses ‘Notify When Found’. The main issue is that Life 360 is an opt-in. Essentially you’re relying on Tile Pro users to opt in Life 360. Tile Premium is an optional subscription plan for more coverage.
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In short, if you have a Samsung then the Galaxy SmartTag2 is for you. If you have an iPhone then the Apple AirTag is for you. Every thing else get the Tile Pro.
7) HDMI Cable:
This is a simple way to keep yourself entertained when you’re traveling abroad. If you’re traveling for some time (weeks) and want access to your streaming services, the hostel or hotel will have a TV in your room. All you need to do is connect your laptop to the TV with the HDMI cable and watch your show.
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Tips to Consider Before Buying Travel Tech Accessories:
Let’s face it, you’re on vacation so ask yourself do you really need to work? Just because you can doesn’t mean you have to. If you work in an office do your due diligence and ask who will be covering for you in your absence. If you’re self-employed then you can just get away with the hotel wi-fi and a simple tablet…I do.
Summary:
Lastly, don’t overdo the tech part! Getting too tech gadgets may hurt your pocketbook besides chances are you already have some of the above items anyway. Pack only what you need and pack light.
